Great Wall, Pandas, and Mcdonald's

At this stage in an adoption, we send a letter to our adoption agency stating that we would like to adopt a particular child.  If you are waiting for a healthy child, you are presented with a picture of a child and they ask if you would like to adopt this child.  For special needs, you research the children by their individual needs to see if they are a fit in your family.  Some needs can be simple, like a twitchy eye, and some needs can be more time consuming, like blindness.  We have found that child.  So we sent in our letter of intent.  In it we describe why we want this child and how we think they will be a perfect fit in our family.  From here, it will go to the agency for review and then be forwarded to China.  Once they accept your letter, that child is listed as matched on online files.  Then the review of your information begins.  More waiting.  In the case of a special needs child, the review process may be escalated....

In China, they have a lot of stores.  We went to many malls.  The stores we liked the best were the ones that allowed bargaining.  Well, for my wife, it was an adventure.  I tended to stay away from it.  These stores tend to look like a flea market.  It is usually in a building and is sectioned off by what they sell.  Some things that they sell may not be a true item.  A lot of what we saw tended to be knockoffs or counterfeit.  For things like souvenirs, it was cheaper than department stores or specialty stores. Bargaining is a process that can wear a person down.  My wife would walk up to something and usually it will not have a price.  Once you ask, they process has started.  Generally, they will ask you what you would like to pay for it or they will tell you.  But they price quoted is usually high.  Then it becomes like a tennis match.  She will lob a price over the net and it will be struck down with a cou...

Jiangxi is the province where our first adopted child from China is from.  On our trip there, we were green travellers.  We had never been out of the US except on a cruise.  Now we were in a country where very few speak English.  Our adventurous side had not developed.  The only trip that we made away from the hotel was to the local Wal-Mart.  When hunger hit one day at the hotel, we had to figure out what to eat.  We were not with our group and there were no western eateries around the hotel.  The hotel was out of the question.  The prices were too high, even with the Dollar to Yuan value.  We decided to walk across the street to a Chinese restaurant.  As we walked in, we were greeted warmly by the staff.  They showed us to a table and handed us menus.  The menu was in Mandarin and it had pictures.  The only problem was that we did not know if it was spicy or what kind of meat, etc.  Our server came over, bu...

I have to do this in two parts.  The first time we encountered pandas in China was during our 2009 adoption.  An earthquake had happened near Chengdu China.  Due the pandas getting freaked out, they moved some of them to the Beijing Zoo. On the day we visited the zoo, it was a bright and sunny day.  We went up to the entrance and encountered an army of pandas.  To be more exact, it was an army of artistically decorated panda displays.  There were a bunch of regular sized pandas and many small ones.  Our guide told us that school children had decorated the pandas. As we enter, the first exhibit is the pandas.  One set was in a Plexiglas cage.  They all looked tired and they were probably hot.  It is a different climate than they are use to.  On the other side is an outside area for them to play.  

Every adoption, we have had to make decisions.  It is funny, because at those times you start seeing signs.  An example of this just happened to me.  We have a major decision to make about a child.  As I am trying to make this decision, or my part of it, I had an opportunity to see Hector and the Search for Happiness.  I had only seen one preview, but it looked like my kind of a movie.  The story revolves around a psychiatrist who finds he is unhappy with his life and decides to travel the world to see what makes people happy.  They first country he decides to visit is China.  He did not go to the province that the child is from, it's just that he went to China.

Shamian Island is an island in Guangzhou Province.  This island is where the White Swan Hotel is.  It was the primary hotel that adoptive families usually go.  Unfortunately, it was closed for a major renovation on our third adoption.  The island also houses the clinic that we bring our adoptive children for their final checkup. After leaving the clinic, we walked around the island to see some of the shops.  Due to the White Swan being closed, many of the shops were gone.  Only a few remained. Continuing our tour of the area, we ran into a modelling shoot.  There were lights, people with cameras, racks of clothes and tall models.

In 2009, China celebrated it's 60th anniversary of communist rule.  We were in Beijing right before the big celebration.  When you walked around you knew it.  They had police and military everywhere.  You even had checkpoints that you had to walk through, like at the Forbidden  City.  The government did not want anything to ruin the celebration. On the corner, near our hotel, they had a military style vehicle with armed soldiers.  We walked by them, once or twice.  I did not dare to take their picture, but normal Chinese citizens would go right up to them and take there picture.  I did shoot one from our room, though. One night, I woke up after hearing a loud rumbling.  At first, I thought it was a train.  So, I looked out the window, but could not see anything.  The streetlights were off.  Later that week, I realized what it was.  They had been preparing for a rehearsal run of the parade that was going to happen....

The White Swan hotel is located on Shamian Island, Guangzhou.  Two of our three adoptions ended here.  It is one of the four star hotels that our agency booked us into.  When you do adopt a child and stay at this hotel, you get a special Barbie doll made for the hotel. The interior of the hotel is very nice.  They have stores on the ground level, as well as restaurants.  Guests are treated to a buffet breakfast, but you have to pay for all other meals.  From what we could tell, it was expensive.  We could not partake in dinners.   The buffet in the morning was great.  They had everything you could think of.  In addition, they also had Chinese dishes.  It was all great, but I still tried to watch what I ate, due to the bathroom situation on the outside. On the outside, they have a pool.  On our first trip, it was December.  Angie and I did not bring swimming clothes. The second adoption happened in the summer.  Wit...

During our site seeing tour of Guangzhou, not accompanied by our guide, we stumbled upon a unique restaurant.  It is a theme that probably would not sell well in the West.  It is called the Modern Toilet Restaurant.  It's theme is in the name.  You go in the restaurant and your seat is a toilet.  Your table looks to be two sinks or maybe even toilets with things sitting in them.  On the sign, we saw that the food is served in mini toilets.  It was a Hot Pot style of food.  Urinals adorned the walls.  I thought it would be interesting to try, since we missed out on Hot Pot in Chengdu, but Angie would not eat there.     I believe I have a willing participant when we go back.  Michelle says she wants to eat there, so we can take a picture of her eating out a toilet to show her friends.

In Guangzhou, there is a guy that dresses up in a rooster outfit.  When people give him money, he will give them candy.  All three times we visited, we saw him.  I believe it was the same person every time.  To get people's attention, he would blow on his horn.  Besides my pictures, you probably can look him up on the net.  I have seen other pictures that people have posted.

When adopting internationally, you have to make a decision about whether you are going to accept a child or not.  They provide you with as much information as possible.  You sometimes get medical records, schedules to show how they are progressing, etc.  Sometimes, you just get a picture.  At this point, you have to decide, will we bring this child into our family.  We have been through this many times.  I would say we have not been disappointed with our decisions. I am now at that point again.  The time is ticking on a file that we have locked.  We have to make a decision.  We have asked questions, but the chances they get answered are slim.  Either that, or they will not have the answer.  I know what my decision is and I just don't like to rush into the process.  This is what happens when you adopt.  Sometimes you have to wait years to make this decision and sometimes it happens in the beginning.  Once the decisio...

From our many travels to China, I would say I miss the food.  The meals were great.  I only wish we could have made every meal a Chinese Dish.  But, when you don't have a guide, it gets complicated ordering.  In Chengdu, we asked if the food was going to be spicy.  The woman looked at us and smiled as she shook her head no.  Well, it was very spicy.  In Chengdu, they add Schezuan oil to everything. Most of our meals, with the guide, were family style meals.  She would order many meals and they would place them on a lazy Susan.  We would pick a little of everything.  One time I turned to her and asked what the dish was.  It turned out to be Sweet and Sour Pork.  It was not made like they make it at most restaurants in America. Another meal I tried, had peanut and other things.  In addition to the nuts, there were peppers.  I would get them mixed up while I was chewing and have to reach for the soda or tea. 7-11 i...

For any one who is adopting, I have a word of advice.  Take lots of pictures.  For most of you, this may be the only adtion you do.  If you are like us, you may have other oppurtunities. The first adoption, we took about 300 or so pictures.  When I looked at them, I realized we had lots of our daughter, but nothing of her province or of China.  The second time, I swore to take more pictures.   I think we took over 1000 pictures.  I tried to take pictures of everthing.  Finally, on the last adoption, it was around 2000 pictures. If you are using a digital camera, you can always delete pictures you don't want or if they turned out bad.  If you don't take them, you will wish you had and missed your oppurtunity.  Not only that, but as your child grows, they can look over the pictures to see the area they came from.

When you adopt from China the agencies like to put you up in 4 star hotels.  One our second adoption, the hotel was some distance from the airport.  Our first adoption, the hotel was right around the corner to the airport.  When you adopt from Beijing, you have to stay two weeks and then a week in Guangzhou.   We arrived at the hotel and gathered our things.  They passed out our room keys and everyone went to drop off their belongings.  Our room was on the 7 or 8 floor.  On first inspection, it was nice.  The only problem was that is was a little warm.  We did not know if that was the way air  worked in China or the thermostat needed to be turned down.  We adjusted it.   That night, it did not get any better.   We even called the front desk.  They came up and made an adjustment.   We even opened the windows.  Beijing in September is not cool.  We slept a restless sleep that night.   The ...

With a title like that, you'd think you'd have to exercise parental guidance.  We discovered that when you adopt a baby/toddler in China, you must bundle up your child.  Of course, both times we did, it was cold.  The reason is this, well meaning people will come up to you and start saying things in Mandarin, while they are pulling down pant legs and arms. You will discover that when you get your child on Gotcha day that they are bundled up like the child from Christmas Story.  Michelle was ready to pop.  My guess would be if you adopt a baby/toddler, keep them bundled or wrap them in a blanket.  The people mean well, but they will let you know if skin is showing.  I can only wonder how they are during the summer.  It was worse for Michelle.  She had chubby cheeks.  When people saw that, they also wanted to pinch her cheeks.  She would just stare at them.

Here we go again.  The third time is the charm, or so they say.  This time, I did not tackle the same stairs.  I decided to go to the opposite side of the wall.  I found it to be strenuous, but  easier to deal will.  Plus, I got to walk on straight stretches of the wall.  I also discovered, that the section was only a portion.  It was just a big circle.  The stairs seemed a little steeper on this stretch and I had the same fears of falling.  Angie and Kayla stayed at the base while I went exploring.  They were drinking hot chocolate, due to the cold.  It warmed up as I walked up and down the stairs.